New York Mets DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo (hamstring) is not in the team's starting lineup on Friday versus the Cincinnati Reds due to minor hamstring tightness. Tyrone Taylor is starting in left field and is batting sixth, while shortstop Francisco Lindor moves up to the leadoff spot for the Mets against Reds right-hander Hunter Greene. Lindor and Taylor both have home runs in their career against Greene, albeit in just 17 combined at-bats. The 31-year-old Nimmo could use the day off in the series opener against Cincy, as he's started the year off with just one hit, a stolen base, six walks and six strikeouts in his first 28 plate appearances. The Mets don't consider Nimmo's injury to be serious, as he's listed as day-to-day, so hopefully he'll return on Saturday.

New York Mets left-hander Jose Quintana will be looking for a better outing on Friday when he takes on the Cincinnati Reds. He allowed just two runs in his first start of the season in 4 1/3 innings of work but also six hits, including a homer, with two walks against four strikeouts. It was a decent start to the season after Quintana worked to a 3.57 ERA across 13 starts last season while a rib injury cost him significant time. With the solid, yet injury-shortened season, Quintana placed himself back under the radar but he also struck out just 18.8% of the hitters he faced, a career-low for the veteran. He makes for a decent back-end starter for fantasy managers if he can prevent runs at a similar clip in the 2024 campaign.

New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso helped lift his team to their first victory of the campaign during Game 2 of a doubleheader in Thursday's 2-1 win over the Detroit Tigers, launching his second home run of the season in the ninth inning. The Mets needed a big hit in the worst way, and Alonso got a hold of a ball under the strike zone to will one to deep center and out of the ballpark. The 29-year-old slugging superstar has been one of the lone bright spots of New York's scuffling offense to begin the year, batting .292 (7-for-24) with an .888 OPS and two solo shots in six games. Alonso looks forward to a three-game weekend series starting on Friday against the Cincinnati Reds at the Great American Ball Park, where he has a .286 batting average, five homers, and eight RBI in 12 career games at the venue. Alonso will carry added DFS appeal in a bandbox ballpark.

New York Mets right-hander Jose Butto gave up one run on three hits across six innings of work during Thursday's 2-1 doubleheader win over the Detroit Tigers. He recorded six strikeouts and allowed three walks across 90 pitches. It was an impressive spot start for the 26-year-old after being called up from Triple-A Syracuse. Butto will likely be sent straight back to the minors, but he could get another crack at the rotation if an injury arises. He could be a potential streaming option against weaker opponents for fantasy managers if he returns to the big league level.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez went 2-for-5 with two RBI during Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader with the Detroit Tigers. The 22-year-old has now collected multiple hits in three of his last four games. Alvarez showcased his raw power during his rookie season by belting 25 home runs, but his .209 batting average and .284 on-base percentage left a lot to be desired. Alvarez has looked more composed at the plate to start 2024, slashing .400/.429/.700 with a homer and four RBI through 21 plate appearances. While his ratios are sure to regress, Alvarez looks like he could provide a solid offensive season for fantasy managers.